Marshfield Bakery is looking to expand its premises within the next 18 months in response to growing business demands and achieving more than £2m in turnover each year.

The Wiltshire-based bakery firm told British Baker an expansion of its current 7,500sq ft manufacturing facility was on the cards, which the company moved into back in 2006.

Ben White, sales director at Marshfield Bakery, said: “A lot of the growth that we have done has been over the last year or two. We are constantly shifting things around in the factory as a way to maximise the space that we have got. But I think long-term, we will be growing the site that we are on.

“Our growth areas of the business are with national retailers and the food manufacturing sector, along with product lines such as our brownie pieces and sponges for dessert manufacturers, which are doing particularly well.”

He added that the financial performance of the business over the last year has been good, with turnover doubling in the last 12 to 18 months.

The company has also grown its workforce during this time, with around 45 members of staff working at Marshfield Bakery, compared to 30 employees a year ago, and has extended to two shifts.

A dedicated new product development department has also been set up in the last 10 months, with Marshfield Bakery working closely with Bath Spa University by setting up projects for its second-year undergraduate students undertaking a Food Science degree.

“Off the back of this collaboration, we have hired one of the university’s graduates – Hattie Baker – about two years ago, who is heading up the NPD work that we do at Marshfield Bakery,” added White. “We decided to set up this department because of the level of demand from customers for twists on our current products.”

As a result of the new dedicated NPD section, the company has developed a range of new items, including dipper-style products to accompany coffee.

Marshfield Bakery was set up 28 years ago by White’s parents, Paul and Lynne, and produces a number of sweet bakery goods including shortbread, flapjacks, fruit cake and biscuits for a number of suppliers, including national food retailers, supermarkets, food manufacturers, airlines and rail networks.

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